Automotive safety device having inflatable confinement

ABSTRACT

An automotive safety device for protecting a vehicle occupant from injury during collision of the vehicle with an obstruction, having an inflatable, normally contracted confinement and a container for storing a source of working media to be converted into pressurized fluid for expanding the confinement, wherein an outlet opening for discharging the pressurized fluid from the container is formed at the lower end of the container and an igniting means for firing an explosive to explosively expand the source of working media into pressurized fluid is positioned at the upper end of the container. The safety device features increased velocity of the flow of the pressurized fluid to the confinement and a reduced noise produced by the blasting of the explosive in the container.

United States Patent Matsui et al.

[ Aug. 29, 1972 AUTOMOTIVE SAFETY DEVICE HAVING INFLATABLE CONFINEMENTInventors: Shunji Matsui, 3065, Tomioka-cho, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama;Yosikazu Hayakawa, 368, Oppama-higashicho, Yokohama; Kenzo I-Iirashima,714, Nishiterao, Kanagawa-ku, Yokohama, all of Japan Filed: March 8,1971 Appl. No.: 121,639

Field of Search ..280/ 150 AB; 180/82; 9/316; 222/3 References CitedUNITED STATES PATENTS 6/1969 Kobori ..280/150 AB 3,618,974 11/1971 Chute..280/150 Primary Examiner-Kenneth H. Betts Attorney-Robert E. Burns andEmmanuel J. Lobato [57] ABSTRACT An automotive safety device forprotecting a vehicle occupant from injury during collision of thevehicle with an obstruction, having an inflatable, normally contractedconfinement and a container for storing a source of working media to beconverted into pressurized fluid for expanding the confinement, whereinan outlet opening for discharging the pressurized fluid from thecontainer is formed at the lower end of the container and an ignitingmeans for firing an explosive to explosively expand the source ofworking media into pressurized fluid is positioned at the upper end ofthe container. The safety device features increased velocity of the flowof the pressurized fluid to the confinement and a reduced noise producedby the blasting of the explosive in the container.

i 3 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures AUTOMOTIVE SAFETY DEVICE HAVING INFLATABLECONFINEMENT This invention relates to an automotive safety device and,more particularly, to a safety device which is adapted to protect avehicle occupant from being forcefully thrown against structural partsof the vehicle such as the steering wheel, instrument panel and/orwindshield.

The safety device to which this invention is directed generally includes.an inflatable or expandible confinement which is usually in acontracted or folded condition and a container of a source of workingfluid under pressure, such as Fluorinated, for actuating the confinementto its expanded condition during a collision of the motor vehicle withan obstruction. The operating condition of the vehicle as encountered atthe initial stage of the collision is detected by suitable sensing meansand the fluid under pressure is caused to rush into the contractedconfinement through firing of suitable explosive means. The confinementis consequently expanded and caused to project between the occupant andthe structural parts of the vehicle, whereby the occupant is protectedfrom injury.

An object of this invention is to provide an automotive safety device ofthe above outlined character, in which a fluid under pressure is drawninto an inflatable confinement immediately when or even simultaneouslyas a collision is encountered by the motor vehicle duringcruising.

Another object of this invention is to provide a vehicular safety devicein which not only the pressurized fluid is rushed into the confinementinstantaneble confinement 10 which is normally in a contracted or foldedposition. The shown device includes a container 11 in which a source 12of working media such as Freon (R.T.M.) is stored. The container isclosed at its upper end with an end wall 11a and opened at its lower endto form an opening 11b facing downward. The container 11 is herein shownas reduced toward its bottom end and held in an upright positionrelative to the vehicle body (not shown). A cartridge 13 loaded with anexplosive 14 is attached to the inner surface of the end wall 1 1a ofthe container 11. An igniting means or squib 15 extends through the endwall 11a of the container 11, slightly protruding into the explosive 14in the cartridge 13. The cartridge 13 is thus positioned over thesurface of the source 12 of working media.

The igniting means or squib 15 is connected to suitable sensing means(not shown) for sensing an impact between the motor vehicle and anobstruction and, when such impact is detected by the sensing means, a

To the lower peripheral end of the container 11 is detachably attached asealing plate 16 by which the opening 1 1b is closed. The sealing plate16 is secured to the container 11 by means of a retainer 17 which iscentrally apertured. A detonating means 18 is mounted on the outer sideof the retainer 17, which detonating means is connected to the aforesaidsensing means and caused to fire when an impact between the vehicle andan obstruction is sensedthereby.

A housing 19 is mounted on the container 1 l, enclosing the lower end ofthe container as illustrated. The housing 19 has an outlet 19a, fromwhich a diffuser tube 20 leads into the confinement 10 through adiffuser outlet 20a.

When, now, an impact is encountered by the motor vehicle then thesensing means detects the impact and causes both the igniting means 15and the detonating means 18 to fire simultaneously. By the firing of thedetonating means 18, the retainer 17 which has secured the sealing plate16 to the container 11 is broken so that the sealing plate 16 isimmediately released from the container 11. Slightly after orsimultaneously as the sealing plate 16 is removed from the container 11,the heat resulting from the firing of the igniting means 15 istransferred to the explosive 14 in the cartridge 13 so that theexplosive 14 is now fired, causing the source 12 of working media toexpand suddenly. The fluid under pressure thus caused in the container11 is allowed out of the container through the opening 1 lb formed atthe lower end of the container. The pressurized fluid is then rushedinto the confinement through the housing 19 and the diffuser tube 20,whereupon the confinement 10 which has been held in its contracted stateis actuated to its inflated or expanded position.

Since, thus, the container 11 is positioned sothat the outlet opening11b of the pressurized fluid is positioned at its bottom end with theigniting means 15 positioned over the surface of the source 12 of theworking media, the kinetic energy produced by the blasting of theexplosive 14 is exerted upon the surface of the source 12 of the workingmedia whereby the working'media being allowed out of the container 11 isaccelerated spontaneously. Such acceleration of the working media willbe reflected by significant reduction of the time lag between the momentat which the explosive expansion of the source 12 of working media andthe moment at which the pressurized fluid'is admitted into thecontracted confinement 10. With the igniting means or noise concomitantwith the actuation of the safety device according to 'thisinvention canbe alleviated significantly, let alone the increased velocityof thepressurized fluid being passed over to the confinement 1'0.

signal is applied to the igniting means or squib 15 so The featureswhich are above noted may be attained where the container 11 ispositioned to be inclined at a certain angle insofar as the sealingplate 16 is positioned at the bottom of the source 12 of the workingmedia and the igniting means or squib 15 is positioned over thesurfaceof the source 12 of the working media, an example beingillustrated in FIG. 2.

What is claimed is:

1. An automotive safety device for protecting a vehicle occupant frominjury during a collision comprising an inflatable confinement which isnormally in a con tacted condition, sensing means for sensing an impactbetween the motor vehicle and an obstruction, and a device including acontainer storing therein a source of working fluid to be converted intopressurized fluid, said container having an opening formed at its lowerend, an explosive stored in a cartridge mounted on an inner surface ofan upper end wall of said container, igniting means extending throughsaid upper end wall and slightly protruding into said explosive, saidigniting means being connected to said sensing means detects connectedto said sensing means for being fired when said sensing means detectssaid impact, and a housing enclosing the lower end portion of saidcontainer and communicating with said confinement, said explosive beingfired by the firing of said igniting means for converting said source ofworking mediainto pressurized gas and said retainer being broken by thefiring of said detonating means for releasing said sealing plate fromsaid container whereby said pressurized fluid is caused to rush intosaid confinement through said opening and said housing for actuating theconfinement to its expanded condition.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein said container is held in anupright position relative to the vehicle body.

3. A device according to claim 1, wherein said container is inclinedrelative to the vehicle body.

UNITED STATES OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent 3,687,486 DatedAugust 29, 1972 Inventor(s) SHUNJ'I MATSUI, YOSIKAZU. HAW-\KAWA 8; KENZOHIRASHIMA It is certified that error appears in the above-identifiedpatent and that said Letters Patentare hereby corrected as shown' below:

In the heading, following Item [72] insert the following:

-[73] Assignee: Nissan Motor Company Limited,

' Yokohama City, Japan a corporation of Japan-- Signed and sealed this17th dayof April 1973.

(SEAL) Attestz EDWARD M.FLET( IHER,JR. ROBERT GOTTSC'HALK AttestlngOfficer 7 Commissioner of Patents F ORM PO-1050 (10-69) USCOMM'DC60376-P59 fl U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE "l9 0-355-33L

1. An automotive safety device for protecting a vehicle occupant frominjury during a collision comprising an inflatable confinement which isnormally in a contacted condition, sensing means for sensing an impactbetween the motor vehicle and an obstruction, and a device including acontainer storing therein a source of working fluid to be converted intopressurized fluid, said container having an opening formed at its lowerend, an explosive stored in a cartridge mounted on an inner surface ofan upper end wall of said container, igniting means extending throughsaid upper end wall and slightly protruding into said explosive, saidigniting means being connected to said sensing means detects saidimpact, a sealing plate detachable attached to said lower end of saidcontainer for closing said opening, an apertured retainer secured tosaid container for retaining said sealing plate to said container,detonating means mounted on the outer side of said retainer andconnected to said sensing means for being fired when said sensing meansdetects said impact, and a housing enclosing the lower end portion ofsaid container and communicating with said confinement, said explosivebeing fired by the firing of said igniting means for converting saidsource of working media into pressurized gas and said retainer beingbroken by the firing of said detonating means for releasing said sealingplate from said container whereby said pressurized fluid is caused torush into said confinement through said opening and said housing foractuating the confinement to its expanded condition.
 2. A deviceaccording to claim 1, wherein said container is held in an uprightposition relative to the vehicle body.
 3. A device according to claim 1,wherein said container is inclined relative to the vehicle body.